The United States was the country worldwide with the highest outbound tourism expenditure in 2022. That year, outbound tourism spending in the U.S. amounted to just above 115 billion U.S. dollars, increasing sharply over the first two years of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic but remaining below pre-pandemic levels. While China reported the highest figure in 2019, it placed second in the ranking in 2022, with outbound tourism spending reaching nearly 115 billion U.S. dollars.

Has global tourism recovered from the impact of COVID-19?

With the onset of the health crisis, the number of international tourist arrivals worldwide fell by roughly 72 percent over the previous year. While the volume of inbound arrivals bounced back to more than 960 million in 2022, it remained significantly below pre-pandemic levels. That year, the United States, Spain, and the United Kingdom were the countries with the highest international tourism receipts worldwide.

Which region is the most popular for inbound tourism worldwide?

Both before and after the impact of the pandemic, Europe represented the global region with the highest number of international tourist arrivals. In 2022, the number of inbound arrivals in Europe reached nearly 596 million, denoting a significant annual increase but not yet catching up with pre-pandemic figures.